


Dumb

by AvengersCompound (emilyevanston)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Clint Barton is a dork, Communication, Developing Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Sex Talk, Star Spangled Bingo, WinterHawk Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 08:28:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21012779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/AvengersCompound
Summary: Bucky can’t seem to read what Clint wants.  Luckily for him, Clint’s quite happy to tell him.Square filled: @star-spangled-bingo - Friends to Lovers, @winterhawkbingo - Friends to Lovers





	Dumb

Bucky didn’t think he was that bad at reading people. Maybe he had a tendency to automatically assume people didn’t like him or were scared of him. To be fair though, for quite a long time everyone was scared of him. Even his handlers had been scared of him. So it could be forgiven that it was a surprise when someone wasn’t just as a default wary when they were around him.

Otherwise, he usually could tell what people were thinking. When they were relaxed and at ease. When they were excited about something. When someone was smiling and it was genuine happiness and when they were faking it to fit it. He knew when someone was attracted to another person. He could even tell when that attraction was just lust and when there were actual feelings involved. He’d been trained to read people. He could read people down to the point he knew if they were planning to turn left or right.

So the fact he couldn’t read Clint Barton at all was kind of infuriating.

He knew Clint liked him. Thanks to Natasha and Steve they hung out pretty regularly. Clint kinda treated Steve like his dad or something. Bucky could understand that. Steve did have some pretty strong dad-like qualities. He had been since he was a little kid. Mostly it was this three-way hang out session with Nat though. They had to be the only two guys on the planet who liked hanging out with their ex so much that they made friends through her.

He liked it though. Natasha got him in a way no one else seemed to. Not even Steve. And there was something about Clint that made Bucky think maybe he got it too. The one time they’d had the conversation about the Soldier Clint hadn’t said the typical ‘it wasn’t your fault’. He’d said ‘carrying that burden is easier with friends.’

Friends.

He supposed that’s what he and Clint were. Frustrating goddamned idiot that he was. He kinda drove Bucky crazy. Always just fucking about like nothing really mattered when it clearly mattered. Tripping over his goddamn feet and landing into the closest dumpster. Which okay, yes, Bucky did that too, but at least he had the sense not to laugh about it.

Clint always laughed about it like it was no big deal.

It was seriously annoying.

And he envied it.

All in all, Bucky was glad to call Clint his friend. Even if he couldn’t read him well. Because there were times that Bucky was sure that Clint wanted more than just friendship.

It wasn’t the flirting. He understood that was just Clint. Shit, if Bucky had met Clint way back when Bucky could probably have given him a run for his money on the flirting front.

There was something though. Something Bucky could quite figure out. Like Clint was fine being friends but maybe if they could be more than friends…

God, Bucky hoped that wasn’t just wishful thinking.

Did Bucky, in fact, want to be more than just friends? How could he even tell anymore? It had been such a long time since he’d been in his right mind to want anything. Even when it had been him and Nat things had been confused.

Plus how could you even tell anyway? Save being dragged into the nearest alley or lavatory and being pressed against the wall while hot, alcohol-fueled kisses were peppered with words about not really being gay and just a guy helping another guy out, Bucky had never actually experienced genuine romantic interest from another man.

Fuck. It was wishful thinking, wasn’t it?

Maybe he could drag Clint off somewhere and find out?

“Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Natasha’s words and the sharp jab of her elbow in his side brought him crashing back to earth. She sat squashed in between him and Clint. Completely dwarfed by the two men.

Bucky shook his head. “Nothin’. Just thinking.”

“Yes, I had assumed that, James,” she snarked. “You’re not Clint after all.”

“Hey!” Clint protested. “I think plenty good.”

“Sure you do, bird brain,” Natasha said, patting his thigh. She got up and stretched before turning and looking down at Clint and Bucky. “I’m going to make tea. Either of you want anything?”

“Beer, please,” Clint said.

Bucky shook his head and watched Nat head into the kitchen.

“What were you thinking about?” Clint asked. “You seemed to vague out for quite a while there.”

“Nothing. It was dumb.” Bucky said.

“Dumb, huh? That sounds like my territory.” Clint joked.

Bucky had this sudden sense of immediacy about his feelings. That it was now or never. If he didn’t ask Clint what was going on he never would and whatever potential to be anything else would pass.

“Well, I was thinking about you?” Bucky said.

Clint’s head snapped around and he looked at Bucky quizzically. “You were? Thinking about kicking my ass I bet?”

“Not this time,” Bucky said.

“Oh no?” Clint asked, scooting closer to Bucky. There was barely a fingers width between their legs and Bucky twitched a little at the thought that if he moved his hand at all, they’d be touching. “Thinking about doing something else to my ass?”

Bucky choked on air and thumped himself on the chest to get his heart to start beating again. Clint grinned widely. “Oh my god. You have, haven’t you?” He teased leaning in a little closer.

“I just can’t read you. What are you thinking?” Bucky asked.

“Oh, Buck,” Clint said, putting his hand on Bucky’s thigh. Bucky’s muscles spasmed under his fingers like he’d been electroshocked, despite how good it felt too. Clint’s grip was gentle but firm. An archer’s grip. The kind of grip that you used to hold a small bird. He leaned in closer still, his breath tickled Bucky’s ear, hot and humid against his skin. “I am always thinking about your ass.”

Bucky snorted and shoved him playfully. “You idiot.”

Clint smirked and his hand moved a little higher on Bucky’s thigh. It sent a shiver running up Bucky’s side and he took a sharp breath in and held it. “Kinda like idiots though don’t ya? You’re a morosexual, aren’t ya?”

“I don’t even know what that means,” Bucky said. He put his hand on Clint’s like he was going to move it away. Instead, he just held it there and Clint turned his hand over and curled his fingers.

“It means,” Clint said. “You’re attracted to dumbasses.”

Bucky started laughing. “Maybe one particular dumbass.”

A twinkle entered Clint’s blue eyes. He tapped his fingers on the back of Bucky’s hand. “I’m gonna kiss you now, okay?”

Bucky gave a short nod and Clint brought his lips to Bucky’s. He didn’t force it. It was just a gentle brush of Clint’s lips over Bucky’s, but it was like electricity surged through them. Bucky broke out in goosebumps.

Natasha cleared her throat, startling Bucky and making him pull back quickly. “About time.” She said. “But the rule is no making out on my couch. You gotta take that shit home.”

Clint blushed and pressed himself close to Bucky. “Guess we’ll be going then, right, Buck?” He joked.

Bucky chuckled. He knew it was a joke. They had time to explore this. He probably needed that. Still, he was very tempted to say yes.


End file.
